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Young Adult Literature


Fall 2011 Dr. Robin L. Murray (rlmurray@eiu.edu)

TR 11-12:15 Office: CH 3351
Office Hours: T/R 1-1:45 and 3:30-4:30; W 1-3 (and by appnt.) Phone: 581-6985/549-0199

Course Description and Objectives: This course in young adult literature balances an historical approach with concentrated emphasis on current fiction, poetry, and other prose written in the young adult genre.
  1. An historical approach to the study of this genre is necessary for various reasons:

  1. By studying young adult literature from several periods in American literature, we will gain a sense of the genre’s literary history.
  2. Looking at origins of the young adult literature genre also allows us to analyze the genre’s key elements and highlight expectations readers of young adult literature bring to the text.
  3. Elements of the genre that are easily recognized and delineated in texts from earlier periods that are alien to us are not as obvious in current works set in a culture in which we are immersed.

B. According to Donelson and Nilson there are three main reasons to know the history of young adult literature:
  1. “[We] ought to know not merely where [we] are but also how [we] got there.”
  2. “For anyone who cares about the mores and morals of our time reflected in adolescent books, there is a fascination in knowing how they came to be. There is no better way to see what adults wanted young people to accept as good and noble at any point in history than to examine adolescent books of the time.”
  3. “Third . . . many of the older books are surprisingly fun to read” (413).

To give a sense of this genre, we will study works from the 19th century to the present, with added concentration on works of today.

You will read some of the following as literature circle choices as well as self-selected YA works of your own, for response statements, a group presentation, papers, a Wiki page, and exams and quizzes:

Charles H. Frey and Lucy Rollin. The Classics of Young Adult Literature, which includes the following:
  • Ann S. Stephens. Malaeska (1860)
  • Horatio Alger. Ragged Dick (1867)
  • L. M. Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables (1908)
  • Maureen Daly. 17th Summer (1942)
  • S.E. Hinton. The Outsiders (1967)
  • Alice Childress. A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich (1973)
  • Robert Cormier. The Chocolate War (1974)
  • Judy Blume. Forever (1975)
  • Cynthia Voigt. Homecoming (1981)
  • Gary Paulsen. Hatchet (1987)
  • Victor Martinez. Parrot in the Oven (1996)

M.T. Anderson. Feed (2002)
Marion Bauer, Ed. Am I Blue? (1994)
Kazu Kubuishi. Daisy Kutter: The Last Train (2006)
Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (2004)
Francisco Stork. Marcello in the Real World (2009)
Gene Yang. American Born Chinese (2006)

Course Policies and Requirements: In order to succeed in this course, you must effectively complete each of the following:

  • Once a week you must write and post to Nicenet a reading response of from 300-500 words answering a question, which you had about the text read for that class (individually or in literary circles). More later.

  • Daily you will be expected to be active in class discussion and in-class activities. Make sure you read the material for each class. In-class writing and quizzes will occur sporadically, as well.

  • You will also write two papers, one due at midterm and one due by the final class session.
    • The first paper will give you the opportunity to expand one of your literary circles responses and critically analyze one of the texts on the course reading list in 5-7 pages.
    • The second paper will allow you to look beyond books read for class, examine a “sub-genre” of young adult literature in 8-10 pages.
  • You will also provide a Wiki page for your sub-genre and at least two representative YA works.

Paper prompts will be provided.

  • In groups you will also give a 15-20 minute presentation in which you take a specific critical approach to a current piece of young adult literature of your own choice. You will be expected to hand in your presentation in written form along with all other materials used. A group presentation prompt will be provided.

  • You will take a final exam, which will allow you to synthesize information gained from the literature, its genre expectations, and its cultural and historical contexts.

In addition to the above requirements, students enrolled in the course for graduate credit will extend one of their papers to approximately 15 pages. This paper focusing on a particular theme, genre, and/or critical issue will incorporate a selection of works not included on the syllabus. These students will be asked to submit a prospectus for the paper, as will all other students, but should also include a bibliography with their prospectus.

Note: No late work will be accepted unless I have approved extensions before the date the work is due.

Grades: Grades for this course will be determined as follows

  • Weekly Responses 15%
  • Paper 1 15%
  • Paper 2 20%
  • Wiki Page 10%
  • Quizzes and in-class writing 10%
  • Group Presentation 15%
  • Final Exam 15%

Other Policies:

  • Plagiarism Statement: “Any teacher who discovers an act of plagiarism--`the inappropriate imitation of the language, ideas, and/or thoughts of another author, and representation of them as one’s original work’—has the right and the responsibility to impose upon the guilty student an appropriate penalty, up to and including immediate assignment of a grade of `F’ for the course.”

  • If you have a documented disability and wish to receive academic accommodations, please contact the Coordinator of the Office of Disability Services (581-6583) as soon as possible.

  • Please also note that this course is Writing Intensive, so a paper completed for the course can be turned in to your electronic writing portfolio—some time during the actual course of the class.

  • Ambitious students can also seek help from the Writing Center. Call for an appointment (581-5920) or visit ((CH3110) at any point in the writing process, from brainstorming, planning and drafting, to final editing. Bring your assignment sheet and any written work and/or sources with you. The Writing Center is open Monday-Thursday, 9-3 and 6-9, and Friday from 9-1.

  • You must complete all major assignments to complete this course.

  • Students seeking Teacher Certification in English Language Arts should provide each of their English department professors with the yellow form, “Application for English department Approval to Student Teach.” These are available on a rack outside the office of Dr. Donna Binns (CH 3851)